Melkorka Borne
__FORCETOC__ Melkorka Borne is the spiritual leader and wisewoman among Aeomayn's people, often called by the moniker of "Kynes-Daughter". She is the wife of Baedred. Aside from courtly nuance, she is the solitary mage within Aeomayn's followers, although witch would likely be a more accurate term. Characteristics: Appearance; With ageless blue eyes and long golden locks, Melkorka is a thing of beauty with a bewitching quality about her. With smooth white skin dotted with freckles, mostly absent of wrinkles or signs of aging, she has the look of a woman ten years her junior. Only the weight behind her gaze and the wisdom of her words shows that she is older than she appears, contrasting with her haggered looking husband. She is tall and slender; at just under six foot she towers over most folk, standing the equal of many great warriors of other races. She is mostly lithe and is relatively flat-chested, though she possesses generous (child bearing) hips. Her hair is typically pulled back into a lengthy braid, though she will wear other styles such as loose buns or completely down with braids here and there. Personality Melkorka is practically fearless; she has survived the slaughter of her village when she was an adolescent, lived through two wars, given birth to five children and seen four of them to adulthood. She is a survivor, perhaps a little proud, but justifiably so. Possessing of a mental fortitude that seldom buckles under pressure, she is arguably the her family's driving force, the one who spurs them onward. In contrast to her husband, who is not particularly religious, Melkorka has a strong connection with her gods and her traditions, unafraid to defend them. The only thing she holds more important than her gods are her children, and like a lioness she will do anything to protect them. While she has a formidable temper, she is usually able to keep it in check, years of courtly practice allowing her to maintain an air of civility and grace when mingling among the other women of court. In private however, she is usually quick tempered; fast to anger and fast to calm again. She will let most slights pass, but she is slow to forgive any to try to harm her family or insult her gods, capable of holding a nasty and lengthy grudge. Weapons, Attire, Misc: Melkorka’s wardrobe favours the colours of the sky – pale blue as a summer’s day to storm cloud grey – and are varied in their design. Some of her robes and tunics are made of coarse material, cowls and shawls among them, giving her a very shamanistic appearance. This are usually worn when she is acting in her role as a spiritual leader. She possesses some ‘regular’ dresses, skirts and blouses for everyday matters and some well-made clothing for court. Her chainmail haurberk and assorted pieces of leather armour are seldom worn these days. She possesses a tall crooked wooden staff. Made from the one branch that split into two, it has a look reminiscent of a scythe. She owns a raven that she calls Munin, a clever bird that she has trained to be her familiar. She also owns a ceremonial knife as well as a standard Nordic blade, though the latter is rarely removed from the chest she stores it in. Skills: It is said that she has the favour of Kyne, and this is how she can call upon her elements; water, air and shock. She claims she can hear her goddess’s will in the sound of the wind. While she has rarely had to demonstrate her skills, she can call lightning from the sky to smote foes or conjure it from her bare hands, as well as great gusts of wind and spouts of water. While she can summon these elements at will, she prefers to utilise already existing elements, such as bodies of water or storms. She also has the gift of healing, though this is through poultices and incense as opposed to direct restoration spells, making her more medicine woman in that regard. Her more mundane abilities include an impressive grasp of political nuances and courtly practices thanks to her mother's profession as a Thane's handmaiden, and she is well known for her charm and grace. She is a competent – but by no means exceptional – swordswoman, a great sailor and rider of horses, as well as a talented farmer. While she can hold her own as a shieldmaiden, she very rarely maintains those skills, relying on them only as a last resort. Background: Origins Melkorka was born in a small village in the Northern Pale to a pair of farmers. Throughout her younger years she often felt that she shared a connection with the elements, and sometimes that the wind whispered to her. Her mother said that the gods had given her that gift, though Melkorka didn’t believe her. Her father was also the local medicine man, and she learned some basic alchemy from him. Her mother also served as a handmaiden for a Thane's wife, and as a result Melkorka was also taught pleasantries for the day when she too would eventually become a hand-maiden. When she was sixteen, her village came under attack by the Daedra of Oblivion and easily overwhelmed the paltry defence mounted by the guards. This was the first time she used her magic. She stumbled over burning debris as a dremora approached her and she reached out in panic, smiting the dremora with a bolt of lightning. From that day she believed that her gift came from Kyne, and thus she became Melkorka’s patron goddess. Life in the Village With her entire village gone she moved in search of the only other family she knew she had – her cousin Sif – and when she found her she was taken in to life with Sif and her husband Malcolm Uallas. She lived a comfortable life with the pair, but her abilities with magic were a source of concern for the villagers at first. A few years later she met Baedred, drunk, homeless and alone, and gave him shelter in a random act of kindness. It wasn’t long before the pair fell in love and were married. During this time, she acted as the village’s local priestess, doing everything from wedding ceremonies to births and funerals. When Malcolm and Sif died, she accepted Aeomayn into her home, treating him as though he was her own son. King Falhof’s famous Reach campaign and the war of succession that followed put Melkorka to the test, as her husband and foster son went to war. Before they set out for Dawnstar, she armed them with their shields and gave them a simple farewell: “With them or on them”. With most of the men of the village away, Melkorka became the main authority figure for those who remained behind. Aeomayn's Thanehood and Beyond Melkorka became well respected among the noblewomen of the courts of the Pale when Aeomayn became Thane, admired for her strength, beauty and fertility. She often advised the Thane and her husband on matters of court. And when that was taken from her along with Aeomayn’s Thanehood she was furious, for the sake of her lord, her family and herself. Indeed, it was she who first gave Aeomayn the idea of replacing his land and title elsewhere, and thus he formulated the plan to sail to Northpoint. Joining her husband and family, Melkorka went aboard the ships bound for High Rock and their new life that awaited. Category:Nord Category:Commoner Category:Characters